Press Releases
Currently showing results related to Education
"Student Debt Bomb" Alert: Durbin, Harkin, Introduce Bill to Ensure Students Are Not Misled on Loan Options
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Noting that two-thirds of private student loan borrowers were not aware of the dramatic difference between federal student loans and risky, higher-interest, private student loans, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) today introduced a bill that would require schools to counsel students before they sign on to expensive, even unnecessary, private student loan debt and inform them if they have any untapped federal loan eligibility. In many instances students … Continue Reading
03.20.12
Durbin: Congress Ignores Exploding Student Debt Crisis
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - At a hearing to examine the growing student loan debt crisis in America, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today urged Congress to take steps to help struggling students beginning with the passage of his Fairness for Struggling Students Act - a bill that will restore fairness in student lending by treating privately issued student loans in bankruptcy the same as other types of private debt. Durbin also addressed the role of for-profit colleges in exacerbating the growing debt… Continue Reading
03.20.12
The Looming Student Debt Crisis: Providing Fairness For Struggling Students
Hearing of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Administrative Oversight and the Courts Our nation faces a serious problem with student loan debt. Last month, the National Association of Consumer Bankruptcy Attorneys issued an eye-opening report titled "The Student Loan 'Debt Bomb." The report pointed out that American student borrowing exceeded $100 billion in 2010, and total outstanding student loans exceeded $1 trillion last year. There is now more student loan debt in this count… Continue Reading
02.28.12
Durbin: Illinois Agency Should Take Action Against Westwood College
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the Illinois State Approving Agency to make the criminal justice program offered by Westwood College - currently under investigation by the Illinois Attorney General - ineligible for federal funding under the GI Bill. According to Durbin, veterans in Illinois rely on the State Approving Agency for assurance of the integrity of the school they attend. "Providing veterans with education benefits makes sense when we can ensure… Continue Reading
02.22.12
Durbin Urges Accreditor to Make Details of University of Phoenix Review Public So Students Can Make Informed Decisions
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) late yesterday urged the Higher Learning Commission, which reviews and accredits colleges and universities, to make public the details of their upcoming review of the University of Phoenix. According to Durbin, with the University of Phoenix being the subject of at least five state lawsuits and an investigation by the General Accountability Office, students and families should have complete access to the Higher Learning Commissions findings i… Continue Reading
01.23.12
Durbin, Harkin: Congress Must Remove Loophole that Encourages For-profit Colleges to Target Veterans
[CHICAGO, IL] - At a forum examining aggressive recruiting and marketing tactics practiced by some members of the for-profit college industry to target veterans and service members, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced legislation that would further limit federal government subsidies to for-profit colleges and eliminate the incentive for these extremely profitable schools to aggressively target veterans and service members. The Protecting Our Students and Taxpayers (POST) Act is cosp… Continue Reading
01.13.12
Durbin: USDA Should Work More Closely with Chicago Public Schools to Eliminate Fraud in School Lunch Program
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - Prompted by a Chicago Tribune report unveiling cases of school employees submitting false information in order to enroll more children for free and reduced lunches, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to work more closely with schools and school districts - including Chicago Public Schools - to reduce or eliminate fraud in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Specifically, Durbin asked the USDA to brief… Continue Reading
01.10.12
Durbin Calls on Illinois Colleges and Universities to Help Protect Students from Hidden Bank Fees
[EDWARDSVILLE, IL] - Colleges and universities should take a leading role in promoting transparency in checking account fees, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said today at Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville. Durbin called on Illinois schools to encourage their partner financial institutions to voluntarily adopt a bank account fee disclosure form designed to make checking account terms and fees transparent and easy for consumers to understand. College students - many of whom open checking … Continue Reading
12.22.11
Durbin and Senator Call for End to Cigar Company's Sponsorship of NCAA Orange Bowl
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) was joined by Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and Richard Blumenthal (D-CT) in calling on the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Orange Bowl Committee to reconsider a three-year agreement making a cigar company - Camacho Cigars - a corporate sponsor of the Discover Orange Bowl. "Tobacco has no place in sports, and the promotion of cigars at the Orange Bowl sends the wrong message to young fans," the Senators wrote.… Continue Reading
12.09.11
Durbin Calls on Illinois-based For-profit College to Refund Tuition if Programs Lose Accreditation
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - After learning that the former CEO of Career Education Corporation (CEC) is set to receive a $5 million severance, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today called on the Illinois-based company to refund tuition to students if their program of study loses accreditation. CEC, which owns and operates Le Cordon Bleu and the International Academy of Design and Technology in Chicago, risks losing accreditation after its national accreditor discovered that the company directly violat… Continue Reading
12.07.11
Durbin, Harkin: GAO Report Rejects For-Profit College Industry's Excuse for Poor Student Success Rates
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Tom Harkin (D-IA) announced that a new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report debunks the for-profit college industry's longtime excuse for poor student success rates at their schools: that they enroll students whose socioeconomic status and other characteristics make them "high-risk." Today's GAO report, which compares student success rates at for-profit, nonprofit, and public colleges, controlled for those characteristics and f… Continue Reading
11.17.11
Durbin and Kirk Introduce Legislation to Protect School Children with Allergies
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) today introduced a bill to encourage schools across the country to maintain access to critical life saving medication for children with food and other allergies. The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act will encourage states across the nation to improve school access to epinephrine auto-injectors, like the EpiPen, to be used if students have life threatening systemic allergic reactions. "Every day, a… Continue Reading
11.14.11
Durbin and Kirk Announce Legislation to Protect School Children with Allergies
[CHICAGO] - Schools across the country should maintain access to critical life saving medication for children with food and other allergies, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Mark Kirk (R-IL) said today. The School Access to Emergency Epinephrine Act, which Durbin and Kirk intend to introduce in the Senate this week, will encourage states across the nation to improve school access to epinephrine auto-injectors, like the EpiPen, to be used if students have life threatening systemic… Continue Reading
10.26.11
Durbin Statement on Administration's Efforts to Help Students Manage Loan Debt
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - US Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) released the following statement today after President Obama announced new steps to make college more affordable and make it easier for students to repay their federal student loans: "Today's announcement by President Obama is welcome news for the millions of students and recent graduates who are struggling to pay off their student loans. Plans to cap monthly payments, provide greater access to loan repayment programs, aid in the consolidati… Continue Reading
10.24.11
Durbin Calls for Passage of Key Provisions from American Jobs Act
[DECATUR, IL] - In order to give the lagging economic recovery a boost, Congress needs to pass critical elements of the American Jobs Act that would invest in school, infrastructure, and transit modernizations while putting people back to work, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said at Johns Hill Magnet School in Decatur, Illinois. While passage of the American Jobs Act was blocked earlier this month by a Republican-led filibuster, Democrats in the U.S. Senate will try to pass individual eleme… Continue Reading
10.21.11
Durbin, Kirk Extend Impact Aid Funding Formula For Schools Serving The Great Lakes Naval Base
[WASHINGTON, DC] - U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL) and Mark Kirk (R-IL) today announced that the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee has approved a bill that will extend the practice of allowing the five public schools serving the Great Lakes Naval Training Base to pool their students to maximize federal education assistance through the Impact Aid program. The legislation also allows North Chicago to remain eligible for heavily impacted status for the next five years. "W… Continue Reading
10.12.11
Durbin Meets with Illinois University Presidents
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today met with the Presidents of Southern Illinois University (SIU), former Illinois Representative Glenn Poshard, and Illinois State University (ISU), Dr. Al Bowman, to discuss higher education issues, federal research programs and efforts to strengthen student aid programs including Pell Grants. Durbin served in the U.S. House of Representatives with Poshard, who represented portions of southern Illinois, for 8 years. Poshard was named Presi… Continue Reading
09.26.11
Durbin Urges Passage of Bill that would Modernize Schools and Prevent Teacher Layoffs
[MORTON GROVE, IL] - With schools across Illinois struggling to upgrade their facilities and prevent teacher layoffs, passage of legislation to invest in school modernization and help keep teachers is critically important, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) said this morning after meeting with administrators and teachers at Golf Middle School in Morton Grove. At Golf Middle School, Durbin met with the district superintendent, principals of the middle and elementary schools and the president of … Continue Reading
09.22.11
Durbin Commends Announcement of a Nearly $1.8 Million Federal Grant Award to Support Development of Aerospace Industry in Rockford
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today commended the Obama Administration's announcement $1,769,987 in federal funding for a project - designed by seven Rockford Area groups - that aims to strengthen the local aerospace industry. The Rockford project is one of 20 winning projects awarded a total of $38 million in funding today through President Obama's Jobs and Innovation Accelerator Challenge which awarded funds to support a wide range of economic and workforce development … Continue Reading
09.13.11
Durbin Says Code of Conduct Shows Willingness of For-profit College Industry to Improve Transparency; Encourages Further Action
[WASHINGTON, D.C.] - U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) today made the following statement after many for-profit colleges announced that they have signed on to a voluntary agreement called, "Standards of Responsible Conduct and Transparency". "For-profit colleges signing on to a voluntary code of conduct shows that some in the industry are willing to take a first step towards establishing standards of transparency and accountability. More needs to be done and those schools which resist even t… Continue Reading